As Chen awaits a passport to travel to the U.S. following his dramatic April escape—via the American embassy—from house arrest, meet the blind Chinese activist's relatives, supporters and fellow dissidents caught up in Beijing's dragnet

Hu Jia

In this picture released to Reuters on April 28, 2012, Chen Guangcheng, left, and Hu Jia, one of China's most prominent dissidents, meet in Beijing after Chen escaped house arrest that month

This political dissident was part of the close circle who helped Chen Guangcheng evade Chinese authorities after his arrival in Beijing. “The fact that he successfully escaped is a miracle,” said Hu Jia, 38. Famous for his AIDS and environmental activism — he was for a spell considered a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize — Hu was himself released from prison last year after serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence for “inciting subversion of state authority.” He was recently detained by the authorities following Chen’s escape but has since been released and — like He Peirong and Guo Yushan — was reportedly told by interrogators that he wasn’t suspected of any crime.